Apparatus for assembling sealing pads in receptacle closure caps



Sept. 19, 1950 J. c. JOHNSON ETAL 2,522,577

APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SEALING PADS IN RECEPTACLE CLOSURE CAPS 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 20, 1947 I (1 Johnson y Wfi Jaimson Sept. 19, 1950 J. c. JOHNSON ETAL 2,522,577

APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SEALING PADS IN RECEPTACLE CLOSURE mm '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 20, 1947 J. c. JOHNSON ETAL 2,522,577 APPARATUS FOR ASSEMB LING SEALING PADS IN RECEPTACLE CLOSURE CAPS 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 19, 1950 Filed Nov. 20, 1947 p 1950 J. c. JOHNSON ET AL 2,522,577

. APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SEALING PADS IN RECEPTACLE CLOSURE CAPS Filed NOV. 20, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 .z lgi 7. 52

7 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. C. JOHNSON ET AL APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SEALING PADS IN RECEPTACLE CLOSURE CAPS Sept. 19, 1950 Filed Nov. 20, 1947 zfi F a M Sept. 19; 1950 J. c. JOHNSON ET AL 2,522,577 APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SEALING mas IN RECEPTACLE CLOSURE CAPS Filed Nov. 20, 1947 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 mmvroxs.

'fiITWMEY.

Sept. 19, 1950 J. c. JOHNSON ET AL APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SEALING PADS IN RECEPTACLE CLOSURE CAPS 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Nov. 20, 1947 ff. Jaimsm Patented Sept. 19, 1950 APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SEALING PADS IN RECEPTACLE CLOSURE CAPS John C. Johnson, East Hempstead, 'N. Y., and

Walter H. Johnson, Newmanstown, Pa.

Application November 20, 1947, Serial No. 787,238

10 Claims. (Cl. 154-15) This invention relates to apparatus for as-' sembling' sealing pads in closure'caps of the type commonly termed crowns having a flaring marginal portion of the flange arranged with corrugations or ruffles, and particularly to means for transferring sealing pads from a source of supply to position in alinement with the feed of closure caps and inserting the transferred sealing pads in closure caps, and said means being adapted for use with the closure cap feeding or conveying means disclosed in'the application of John C. Johnson, Serial No. 680,315, filed June 28, 1946, now Patent No. 2,484,095.

It is an object of the invention to provide sealing pad transferring and inserting means capable of supplying sealing pads to all the closure caps successively fed relative to said means.

It is another object of the invention to provide meansto transfer sealing pads from a pair of stacks of sealing pads to position in alinement with a single row of closure caps and insert sealing pads transferred from alternate stacks into successive closure caps.

It is another object of the invention to provide neansto register the transferred sealing pads in alinement with the path of feed of the closure zaps.

It is a further object of the invention to support the sealing pads in stack formation inde- :endently of the means to transfer the sealing )ads from the stacks to position in alinement vith the path of feed of theclosure caps.

It is a further object of the invention to proide a support for the closure cap receiving the iealing pad to prevent forcing of the closure caps 'rom its feeding and supporting means.

Another object of the invention is to yieldngly support a closure cap relative to the means insert a sealing pad therein whereby the cloure cap is adjusted into alinement with the seal-' ng pad inserting means by the movement of aid inserting means into the closure cap toasure proper positioning of the sealingipad in the losure cap.

Another object of the invention is to operate he closure cap feeding means and the sealing ad transferring and inserting means from a rive shaft mounted at one side of the path of. eed of the closure caps.

Other objects and advantages of theinvention ill be described hereinafter.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a art of this application, Figure 1 is a plan view f part of closure cap assembling apparatus havig incorporated therein the embodiment of the ivention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view, on an entrged scale, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 loking in the direction. of the arrows to show leans for. transferring sealing pads from alter- 2 nate stacks of sealing pads with the sealing pad inserting means partially omitted and also showing operative connections of a drive shaft with said sealing [pad transferring and inserting looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing in Figure 4 the sealing pad transferring means in operative condition to transfer sealing pads, and Figure 5 showing said means in inoperative condition caused by the absence of'a closure cap relative to the sealing pad inserting means.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the means, for transferring and inserting Sealing pads with part of the sealing pad inserting means broken away.-

Figure 7 is a View similar to Figure fi'with a slide retaininguplate and part of the control means-for the sealing pad transferring means removed.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 6 looking in the direction of the arrows to show the structure of the means to transfer sealing pads and actuating means" therefor.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view,

on an enlarged scale, lookingat the bottom of F-igurel and showing operative connections between the sealing pad transferring and inserting means and the drive shaft.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional View" taken on the line Ill-iii of Figure 6 looking in the direction of the arrows to show means to support a closure cap relative to the means to insert a sealing pad therein.

Figure 11 is a composite view inperspectiveshowing the'parts of the sealing ipad transfer-- ring and inserting means at the left hand side of Figure 2 in disconnected position relative to each other.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary plan view of the discharge end of closure cap supporting means showing means to yield ingly retain a closure cap having a sealing pad therein relative to a pressure applying head or table.

Figure 13 is a, side elevational view of the 010- sure cap supporting means looking at the botthe arrows to show abutments to register a transferred sealing pad in alinement with the inserting means and a closure cap, and a yielding support for said closurecap to facilitate alining of the closure cap with and by the inserting means.

The embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings as forming a part of apparatus for assembling closure caps comprising a table IE supported at the opposite ends by legs H and a drive shaft I8 rotatably suspended below the table and extending at one side of the longitudinal axis of the table. The drive shaft is driven from a suitable source of power, not shown, in any conventional manner.

the table it by an arch shaped member secured to the top of table l6 and by the supporting structure of the sealing pad transferring and inserting means to be described hereinafter. The opposed edges of the rails i9 are beveled to engage diametrically opposite sections of the flaring marginal portion of the closure caps and suspend the body of the closure caps between the rails with the bottom portion extending below the rails to be engaged by spaced fingers 2! of a pair of rack bars 22 slidably supported in the arch member 20 and a supporting base of the sealing pad transferring and inserting means to extend below the rails I9. The rack bars 22 are actuated in opposite circular directions to successively engage the fingers 2! with the bottom portions of the closure caps and feed the closure caps along the rails l9. One of the rack bars 22 is actuated by a pair of gears 23 rotatably supported by the table wand rotated in one direction by the drive shaft 58, as shown in application Serial No. 689,315, and pivotally connected to lateral extensions 2% at the opposite ends of said rack bar. The other rack bar is similarly connected to and actuated by a pair of gears 25 rotatably supported by the table l5 and meshing with and driven by the gears 23, as shown in Figure 1.

The closure caps are delivered to one end of f the rails I9 to be engaged and fed along the rails by the rack bar fingers 2! by an endless conveyer belt 26 actuated by the drive shaft [8 through a belt 21 engaged around pulley wheels 28 fixed on the drive shaft I8 and a shaft 29 rotatably sup-ported in arms 39 of a guide frame 3! for the conveyer 26. Rotation of the shaft 29 is transmitted to the conveyer 25 through beveled gear 32 fixed on a projecting end of the shaft 29 and meshing with a beveled gear 33 fixed on a shaft 35 of one of the conveyer supporting drums.

The closure caps C on the rails l9 are successively fed relative to a device, not shown, for depositing adhesive in said closure caps and subsequently through a heated zone to render the adhesive viscous. Closure caps having viscous are provided with a channel or recess 38 extending longitudinally into the opposite ends of said transverse member and shoulders 39 extending inwardly from the opposite side Walls of said channel and spaced from each other to constitute slide rails for a pair of blocks All and GI having the opposite marginal portions engaging the upper surface of the rails 33 and each block having a raised center portion 32 on the upper face and a transverse shoulder 33 at one end of said raised portion with the face of said shoulder adjacent to the raised portion extending in- Wardly to form a hook, as shown at M in Figures 4, 5 and 11, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The block M3 is arranged with a depending portion at the end arranged with the hooked shoulder 43 and having a perforation therethrough, and the corresponding end of the block M provided with a bifurcated depending portion 56 pivotally supporting a clevis 41 at the free end of the bifurcation. The blocks Ml and M are connected together by a rod 48 slidable in a bore 49 in the member 35 extending below the recess 37 and connecting the channels38 and one end of the rod secured to the connecting I portion of the clevis as by screwthreadingsaid end in a screw threaded opening in the clevis, as shown at 50 in Figures 4 and 5, and the opposite end of the rod adjustably connected to the depending portion 45 of block 50 by engaging a screw threaded reduced end portion of the rod in the perforation of the depending portion 45 and engaging lock nuts on said reduced end portion at opposite sides of the depending portion 45, as shown at 5! in Figures 4 and 5.

The blocks fill] and H are slidably retained on 3 the rails 39 by a plate 52 secured at the longitudinal marginal portions to the upper edges of the side walls of the channels 38 by engagingscrews through the openings 53 in the plate 52 andinto the member 35, as will be more fully described hereinafter. The upper exposed face of the plate 52 is provided with a channel 54 extending from end to end of said plate and having "a bottom Wall arranged with two rectangular openings 55 spaced a slight distance from the ends of the plate and the inner ends of the openings spaced a greater distance from each other by a Wall portion 56 having an'opening 5'5 in the center thereof tapering in a dOWIlWaIddilGCtiOIl, as shown in Figures 4, 5, 7, l1 and 15. The upper surface of the Wall 56 at diametrically opposite 7 portions of the opening 51 extending on the lonadhesive therein are fed by the fingers 2! of the racks '22 relative to means for engaging sealing pads in said closure caps in contact with the viscous adhesive. Said means constitute the embodiment of the present invention and comprise a transverse member 35 mounted on top of the table I6 by bolts engaged in flanges of said memher and the table, as at 35, and having a recess 3'! in the center thereof for slidably supporting the rack bars 22, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, inclusive. Opposite end portions of the transverse member'forming the side walls of the recess 37 gitudinal axes of the openings 55 are recessed, as shown at 58 in Figure 11, for the mounting of abutment members 59 havin the upper face declining from the end juxtaposed'to the opening 57, as sho-wnin Figure 15, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The opening 5? is positioned in vertical alinement with the space between the rails l9 so that the closure caps are successively positioned below and in register with said opening. The raised portion 52 and hook shoulder 43 of the slide blocks 40, 4| extend in the, openings 55 of the plate 52 and the reciprocal movements of said slide blocks are limited by said raised portion and hook shoulder engaging the opposite end walls of the openings. The openings 55 and the channels 38 are in axial alinement.

The channel 54 in the plate 52 forms a slideway for a pair of slides 6!], each slide having a recess El extending into one end andhaving the closed end of arcuate shape corresponding to the radius of sealing pads P to be deposited or inserted in,

' the closure caps. The upper face ofeach slide 60 is arranged with a rectangular groove 62 opening to the recessed end of the slide and terminating in spaced relation to the opposite end of the slide. The slides 68 are adapted. to participate in the movement of the slide blocks ll], 4! from the opening bliat all times and selectively participate in the movement of the slide blocks toward said opening. This is accomplished by coupling means comprising a U-shaped member 63 mounted at the free ends of the leg portions of the U on the flat upper face of the slides til at the end opposite the recess 6! as by screws engaged in alined openings 64 and having a lip portion 55 depending from the connecting portion of the U to engage the end face of the shoulder 43 of the blocks 4%, 4i opposite the hook Ml, whereby movement of the blocks #8, ill in a direction from the opening 5Tis imparted to the slides W. A latch member 6&3 is pivotally mounted at one end between'and on the leg portions of the U of the member 63 by a pin 6'! engaged in alined open.- ings in the leg portions and latch with the opposite end of wedge shape, as shown at 68 in Figure 11, to engage the hook 3 5 of the shoulder and transmit to the slides the movement of the blocks 49, M toward the opening 5'0.

The slides 53 are slidably retained in the channel 5 1 relative to the openings i335 a plate 69 having a rectangular recesses it extending into the opposite ends of the plate and corresponding to the openings 55 in the slideway plate 52 and the recess 33 in the transverse base member 3-5 and arranged with openings ii along the marginal portion corresponding to the openings 53 in the slideway plate $2 for the engagement of screws E2 to secure together the transverse base member 35, slideway plate 52 and slide retaining plate to. The upper face of the plate 69 between the recesses ill is provided with a raised portion or boss 73 arranged with three openings extending through the plate and raised portion, the middle opening it being slightlysmaller and in axial alinement with the opening 5'! and the two end openings 715 being of greater diameter than the opening 174 and extending in vertical alinement with sections of the wall portion 56 between the openings and opening 5?.

Sealing pads P, shown in the present illustration of the invention as being comminuted cork disks, are supplied from a hopper or a pair of hoppers, not shown, to the path of movement of the slides 63 toward the opening 5? through a pair of delivery tubes 76, ll connected at the upper end in communication with the outlet of the hopper or hoppers and the lower end portion engaged in the openings it so that the lowermost sealing pads in said tubes rest on the wall portion 56 on diametrically opposite sides of the opening 5i between the inner ends of the openings 55 and the tapered ends of the abutments 59.

The slides 59 are actuated to successively transfer the lowermost sealing pads alternately from the tubes it, ill to the opening 51 in engagement with an abutment to register said pads with the opening 5?. This is accomplished 2y connecting the slide blocks 40, 44 by the rod l8 and imparting reciprocatory movement to the llide block M from the drive shaft l8 through a ever 78 pivotally mounted in a bifurcated brackat 79 secured to the side of the table H5 in axial ilinement with the transverse member The .ipper end of the lever is operatively connected to he slide blocl; il by a rod 86 pivotally connect- :d at one end in the bifurcated depending portion 46of the slide block 4| by a pin-8i engaged in alined openings in the bifurcation legs and a boss of the rod, and the opposite end of the rod 8t pivotally connected between and to a bifurcation 82 at the upper end of the lever #13. The lower end of the lever 78 is provided with a pivoted collar 83 for the adjustable mounting of one end portion of a rod 84% having the opposite end portion connected to a strap 85 encircling an eccentric disi; 85 secured on the drive shaft !8, as shown in Figures 2 and 9. The movement of the bifurcated end 82 of the lever it toward the table It actuates slide til connected to the slide block ll to transfer the lowermost sealing pad in tube W to the opening 57 in engagement with the abutment 59 nearest the tube it, and the movement of said bifurcated end 82 from the table It actuates the slide til connected to block 49 to transfer the lowermost sealing pad in tube "56 to the opening 5i in engagement with the abutment 59 nearest the tube ll.

A. sealing pad transferred from either tube it or ill to the opening 5'! is inserted in a closure cap positioned by the feeding rack fingers 2! in register with the opening 5! and the sealing pad engaged in said opening ill. Due to the tapering wall of the opening 5?, the sealing pad is held therein until forcedly pu-shedtherefrom by a plunger 8'! having one end portion slidable in the opening it of the boss 73 and slide retaining plate carried at the opposite end by an angle portion 53 of a right angle arm having the other angle portion secured to the upper end of a slide rod The slide rod Elil is slid'able in a hollow column 91 having a flange 92 intermediate its ends to support the column in an opening in the table 5 as shown in Figures 6 and 9, and

said column having a removable side wall 93 to facilitate mounting of the slide rod therein. The lower end of the slide rod til is provided with a roller 94 extending laterally therefrom to engage a cam groove 95 in the face of a disk 96 secured on the drive shaft ill. The plunger 8! is yieidingly urged from the opening 5'! by a spring it? having one end engaged in a cup member H28 mounted on a rail it and the opposite end of the spring engaged around ,a projection i439 extending from the bottom of the arm portion 39, as shown Figures 3 and 9.

The gears 2 iii, eccentric disk as and the cam groove $5 are proportioned relative to each other, so that a sealing pad P is transferred from either of the tubes It or ill to the opening 5'5 while a closure cap on the rails it is fed by the rack bars 22 toward said opening 5'! and the plunger 31 is actuated from the opening El, and simultaneously with the positioning of the sealing pad in the opening 5? and the closure cap below the opening 5"! in alinement with the sealing pad therein, the plunger Si is actuated toward the opening 5i to insert the sealing pad into the alined closure cap, and during the retrograde movement of the plunger 8i, a sealing pad is transferred from the other tube toward the opening 5? and the successive closure cap on the rails It! is fed toward the opening 5'], and the inserting of said second sealing pad into the successive closure can by plunger 3? is repeated.

Should there be no closure cap on the rails iii in position to be fed by the fingers 2| of the rack bars 22 in register with a sealing to be transthe-heels i 114 of the associated slide block 40 or 41. This is accomplished by providing a pair of levers 91, 98, each lever having the opposite end portions offset to extend in different horizontal planes and pivotally mounted at the oifset portion to a side edge of the slideway plate 52 with each lever pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the opening 57, a shown in Figures 2 and 11, by a pivot pin 99 rotatably engaging an opening in the levers and screw threaded in the slideway plate 52. The lowermost end portion of each of the levers 97 and 98 is weighted by a portion IIlIl extending laterally from said end and having the face undercut, as at IEJI, for the mounting of a shoe having a body portion I82 engaged and secured in the undercut face I0! and a projection I03 extending from one end and in a horizontal plane below the bottom edge of the body, as shown in Figure 13. The shoe projections I33 extend into a pair of grooves I04 in the bottom face of the slidewa plate 52 to engage a closure cap on the rails I9 approaching the opening 51, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The uppermost end portion of each of the levers 91 and 98 is provided 'with an enlarged end having a screw threaded opening extending vertically therethrough, as shown at I05 in Figure 11, for the adjustable mounting of an abutment in the form of a screw H35. The shoe projection I03'of each lever 9! and 98 is yieldingly urged into the path of a closure cap by a slide III] slidably retained in alined cutouts II I and I I2 in the edges of the slideway plate 52 and slide retaining plate 59 adjacent each end of said plates, respectively, by a plate I I3 secured to the edge of the slide retaining plate 59, as indicated by the holes H4 in the plate B9. The slide H8 is provided with a projection H5 extending from the outer face thereof through a slot IIB in the plate II3 to engage the lower end of the abutment screw IE5. The slide I I8 is yieldingly urged to engage the projection H5 with the screw I66 by a triangular plate I I I pivotally mounted at an extended angle portion on the plate H3, s at IIS, and having a fiat edge face IIB at a second angle portion yieldingl urged to engage the bottom of the projection I55 by a spring I28 fixed at one end to the third angle portion of the plate I I? by a pin I2! and the opposite end of the spring connected to a pin I22 secured in and projecting from the transverse base member 35, as shown in Figures 2 and 11. The urging of the slide I If! in an upward direction by the spring Iiill will also lift the latch 56 out of engagement with the hook A l of the slide blocks til, ll by said slide I II} engaging :an end portion of an arm I23 extending into the path of movement of the slide lit and having a portion I2 of increased thickness on the underface at the opposite end engaged and secured in a cutout portion I25 in the latch 65, as shown in Figure 11.

Figure 4 shows the position of the levers 91, 98 when a closure cap is approaching a position in alinernent below the opening 5? and engaging the shoe projections Hi3 and thereby lifting the weighted ends we of the levers 3'3, 93 and lowering the ends IISE and consequently the slide 190 against the forces of springs I29 which permit the latches 66 to engage the wedged edges 63 into engagement with the hooks IQ of the slide blocks it ill by the weight of the latches and arms I23, and couple the slides 69 with the slide blocks 49, 4!.

Figure 5 shows the position of the levers 91, 88 when there is no closure cap engaging the shoe projections I33 whereby the shoes m2 drop into the space between the rails is lifting the ends I65 by the weight of the ends I00 and the springs I20, Y

and the lifting of the ends I05 permitting the slides III! under the forces of the springs I20 to lift the latches 66 out of engagement with the slide blocks 40, II, so that no forward movement is imparted to the slide 60 associated with the slide block 48 and therefore no sealing pad is transferred from tube I6 and engaged in the opening 51 and discharged from said opening into the space between the rails I9 by the plunger 81. The slide GI) associated with the slide block 4| is shown at the terminus of its sealing pad transferring movement, so that the latch 66 has not been actuated to uncoupling position but will be actuated to said position if no closure cap is engaging the shoe projections I93 when the slide BI! and its associated slide block GI reach the terminus of their retrograde movement from the opening 5'? and the arm I23 of the latch 66 of said slide 60 is engaged by the raised slide III]. The forward upper portion of the slide I III is beveled at I'ZIi to facilitate such an engagement between the latch arm I23 and the slide III], as

shown in Figure 5.

To prevent the forcing of the closure cap from the rails is during the positioning of the sealing pad P therein by the plunger ill, a support for said closure cap is provided in the form of a block I2"! having opposite flange portions at one end secured to the bottom wall of the recess 31 in the base member 35 by screws I28 engaged in said flange portions, as shown in Figures 2, 4, 5 and 10, in vertical alinement with the opening 51 with the top of the block below the closure cap engaging fingers 2i and the path of travel of the bottom of the closure caps so as to not interfere with the travel or feed of the closure caps but to engage the bottom of the closure cap when pressure is applied thereto by the plunger 81 to prevent the closure cap from being forced from the fingers 2! and the rails I9.

The closure cap positioned relative to the opening 57 is permitted to be alined with said opening by the downward movement of the plunger 87 and the sealing pad carried thereby by being yieldingly supported. This is accomplished by removing the marginal portions of one of the closure cap supporting rails I9, as at I29 in Figure 12, to form a narrow connecting portion I39 in said rail, so that the closure cap below the opening 51 is supported only at one marginal portion by a fixed rail I9. The opposite marginal portion of the closure cap is supported by a yielding support in the form of a bar I3I having a beveled edge I32 to engage said opposite marginal portion of the closure cap and an undercut portion I33 extending from side to side to slidably mount said bar on the narrow connecting portion I35 of the rail 2Q, the width of the undercut portion I33 being greater than the width of the portion I38. The bottom face of the wall portion 56 of the slideway plate 52 is recessed, as shown at I34 in Figure 15, to accommodate the sliding mounting of the bar I3I on the rail portion I 30. The beveled edge I32 is yieldingly positioned to engage the opposite marginal portion of the closure cap by springs I35 engaged On rods I35 secured at one end in the edge of the bar I3I opposite the edge I32 and the opposite end portions of the rods I36 slidable in a transverse bar I31 and the transverse member I3! with the ends of the springs abutting the transverse member seated in recesses I38 in said member. The springs E35 permit the bar [31 to be moved from the opposed rail i9 when a closure cap is engaged by the fingers dl between the rail l9 and bar it! and movement of the closure cap in a horizontal direction by the sealing pad inserting movement of the plunger tl' should the closure cap be out of alinement with said movement.

The slideway'plate 52 has a lateral extension I 39 midway the ends to support the rails Iii by screws as shown at Mill in Figure 13.

After the sealing pads are inserted in the closure caps, said closure caps are successively moved along the rails I3 by the fingers 2! of the rack bars 2'2 from the sealing pad assembling means to a revolving table, indicated in a general way at Ml, carrying a series of spring influenced plungers slidably mounted to have movement toward and away from a closure cap supporting shelf on the table and a cam adapted to actuate the plungers from said shelf against the springs while said shelf is traveling past the delivery end of the rails 89 and the springs moving the plungers into engagement with the sealing pads in the closure caps on the shelf of the table to apply pressure to the sealing pads during the cooling of the adhesive in the closure caps to assure adhesion between the sealing pads and closure caps. The structure of this pressure applying table is not shown nor described in detail as is well known in the art. The pressure applying table is rotated from he drive shaft it; in any suitable manner.

During the travel of closure caps from the sealing pad applying means to the pressure applying table, the closure caps are retained on. the rails it? by guide rails M2 and 863, as shown in Figures 9, 12, 13 and 14, secured to the closure cap supporting rails with a marginal portion extending over the opposite marginal portions of the closure caps supported by the rails is. The rail i 32 has an end portion extending beyond its associated rail 59 and over the closure cap supporting shelf of thetable MI, and said extending end having the inner guide edge extending slightly inwardly toward the path of travel of the closure caps, as shown at Mi l in Figure 12. lhe rail 59 is extended with the extended end portion Mi l in the form of a plate it? riveted to the underface of the extended end portion his and having a beveled edge i iii extending from the beveled edge of the rail it at a sharper angle than the inner edge Hi l to guide the closure caps at an obtuse angle to the path of travel of the closure caps along the table It. The other guide rail M3 has a pointed extension is? extending along the beveled edge of its associated rail W. The closure caps are yieldingly urged against the beveled edge M6 of the plate M by a finger Hi8 pivotally mounted on the guide rail 5 32, as at i l-8, and having an extension i512 proiecting beyond the outer edge of the rail M2 and connected to one end of a spring till secured at the opposite end to the associated rail ill, as at 52. The opposite free end of the finger M5 is arranged with a curved recess 552-3 in. the forward edge thereof yieldingly urged by the it! toward closure cap and adjacent to the free end thereof. The free end of the finger is arranged with a shoe i5 1 secured to the underface of the finger to extend transversely of said end and the end of the shoe adjacent to the curved recess 53 terminating within the edge of said recess and arranged with an inwardly extending cutout portion having a beveled face 555 extending at an angle of to the horizontal to engage the flaring edge of the marginal portion of the closure cap and support the closure cap in conjunction with the beveled edge M6. The movement of the finger M8 from the edges hi l, 6% is limited by the shoe ltd abutting the angle edge of the pointed portion i l? of the rail M3, and the movement of the finger toward the edges Hid, M6 is limited by a stop pin iEt fixed in and projecting from the guide rail M2 to engage the rearward edge or the finger.

The finger Mt? retains the closure cap against the edge i until said closure cap is removed therefrom by the rotation of the pressure applying table E li.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In means to feed sealing pads to closure caps being conveyed in a single row, a pair of means for supporting a stack of sealing pads on opposite sides of the path of travel of closure caps, a slide associated with each stack of sealing pads and actuated to transfer a sealing pad alternately from the opposed stacks to a position above the path. of travel of closure caps, and single means to engage the sealing pads successively positioned above the path of travel of clo sure caps into the successive closure caps.

In means to feed sealing pads to closure caps being conveyed in a single row, a pair of means to support a stack of sealing pads on 0pposite sides of the path of travel of closure caps, a slide movable relative to each stack of sealing pads to engage the lowermost sealing pad in said stack nd position said sealing pad above the path, of travel of closure caps and in line with a closure cap being conveyed, means to simultaneously reciprocate the slides in the same direction to successively engage and position a sealing pad from alternate stacks relative to successive closur caps, and a plunger reciprocating relative to a sealing pad positioned by one or the slides above the path of travel of closure caps to engage said sealing pad into an alined closure cap.

3. In means to feed sealing pads to closure caps being conveyed in a single row as claimed in claim 2, a slideway for the slides having a transverse wall below stack of sealing pads to support the lowermost sealing pad in each stack in the path of pad positioning movement of the slides.

In means to feed sealing pads to closure caps being conveyed in a single row as claimed in claim 2, a support mounted below the path of travel of closure caps and in axial alinement with the plunger to engage the bottom of the closure cap receiving a sealing pad from the plunger.

5. In means to feed sealing pads to closure caps being conveyed in a single row as claimed in claim 2, a slideway for the slides having a transverse wall intermediate the ends thereof to support the lowermost sealing pad in each stack of sealing pads arranged with an opening between the sealing pad supporting portions and in axial alinement with the plunger, and abutments at diametrical opposite portions of the opening in the path of the pad positioning movement of the slides to engage the leading edge of a sealing pad being moved by a slide and register said sealing pad in the opening.

5. Means to feed sealing pads to closure caps being conveyed in a single row as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means to simultaneously reciprocate the slides in the same direction comprises a pair of members connected to each other and each member slidably mounted relative to a slide and arranged to engage and move said slide in the retrograde movement of the member from a stack of sealing pads, a latch pivoted on each slide and adapted to engage the associated member to impart movement of said member toward the stack of sealing pads to the slide to move a sealing pad in register with the plunger, and a power driven lever connected to one of the members to simultaneously reciprocate the members in the same direction.

7. In means to feed sealing pads to closure caps being conveyed in a single row, a pair of means for supporting a stack of sealing pads on opposite sides of the path of travel of closure caps, means to engage a sealing pad in a closure cap, a pair of slides, each slide slidable transversely of a stack of sealing pads and having one end arranged to engage the lowermost sealing pad in the associated stack and the opposite end portion having an elongated opening therein and a depending lip at said end, a pair of connected members, each member slidable below a slide and having a projection to engage the depending lip of the associated slide and transmit retrograde movement of said member from the stacks of sealing pads to the associated slide, a latch pivotally mounted in the opening of each slide to engage the projection of the associated member and transmit movement of said member toward the stacks of sealing pads to the associated slide to engage said slide with the lowermost sealing pad in the associated stack and position said sealing pad relative to the means to engage a sealing pad in a closure cap, means connected to one of the connected members to simultaneously reciprocate the members in the same direction and successively position sealing pads from alternate stacks relative to the means to engage a sealing pad in a closure cap, a lever pivotally mounted relative to each slide and having one end operatively connected to the latch of said slide and the opposite end weighted and having a portion extending in the path of travel of closure caps to engage a closure cap approaching the means to engage a sealing pad in said closure cap, and the absence of a closure cap causing the levers to actuate the latches out of engagement with the projections of the connected members and prevent actuation of the slides to move a sealing pad from the associated stack of sealing pads to the means to engage a sealing pad in a closure cap.

8. In means to feed sealing pads to closure caps being conveyed in a single row, a table, a pair of means supported by the table to support a stack of sealing pads on opposite sides of the path of travel of closure caps, slides supported by the table to successively position the sealing pads from alternate stacks in alinement with the path of feed of closure caps, means supported by the table to engage a positioned sealing pad in an alined closure cap, a drive shaft supported by the table to extend at one side of the longitudinal center of the table, the slides and means to engage positioned sealing pads in alined closure caps being operatively connected to the drive shaft and actuated in synchronism with each other by the rotation of the drive shaft.

9. Means to feed sealing pads to closure caps being conveyed in a single row as claimed in claim 8, wherein the means to engage positioned sealing pads in alined closure caps comprises a plunger, a slide mounted in vertical alinement with the drive shaft and having a roller at one end, an angular arm having one angle portion secured to the opposite end of the slide and the other angle portion extending above the path of travel of closure caps and carrying the plunger, and a disk secured on the drive shaft and arranged with a cam groove in a face thereof for the engagement of the slide roller to reciprocate the slide and plunger.

10. Means to feed sealing pads to closure caps being conveyed in a single row as claimed in claim 8, wherein the slides to position sealing pads from alternate stacks in alinement with the path of travel of closure caps are operatively connected to the drive shaft through a lever pivotally supported by the table and having one end operatively connected to said slides, and an eccentric disk secured to the drive shaft and having a strap encircling said eccentric disk and connected to the opposite end of the lever.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Clark Mar. 30, 1915 Number 

